Yao puts on show in win over Pacers

Dazzling moves part of 29-point game

Published 6:30 am, Thursday, December 19, 2002

There were blocked shots and sweet jumpers, passes to make a purist weep in delight, and a move taken so directly from the greatest of Hakeem Olajuwon's greatest hits that even David Robinson's ankles must be hurting hundreds of miles away.

But Yao Ming -- again -- did more while inspiring thoughts of things far greater than a big win over another first-place team.

Yao would not let the Rockets lose Wednesday night, carrying them through the decisive stretch of a 95-83 win over the Pacers and sending home many of the 13,281 at Compaq Center, to say nothing of his stunned-again teammates and coaches, wondering if there is a limit out there.

Yao bling bling?

"I'm pretty sure that's the way y'all won two championships," Rockets guard Steve Francis said. "That would be good."

It already went well past good. As with his finest previous moments, every time Yao established new expectations, he exceeded them. The first-half move Francis called "a double Dream shake" might stand as the most remarkable. But Yao later stunned everyone with the variety of ways in which he took over the game.

"Yao was just fantastic," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said of the 29-point, 10-rebound, six-block performance. "What is so inspiring and gives me goose bumps is to hear that buzz in the crowd. Of course, cheers are great, but after we make a great play to hear that buzz continue, you could hear them say, `Could you believe that?' It was reminiscent of when Dream was developing into a great player."

By the fourth quarter, with the Rockets still shooting worse than they had all season, they rode a sudden burst of Yao as much as they once did Olajuwon's back.

"We had to keep the ball inside," Francis said. "It was obvious he was dominating the game. Late in the game, things were kind of erratic. But I think we did a good job re-establishing the post."

Francis could not help but remember just when the Rockets reached that decision.

"Cuttino (Mobley) missed four in a row, Glen (Rice) missed three in a row. I missed two in a row. We said we're going to live and die with what (Yao) does for us."

The Rockets did not look like world-beaters most of the night. But with the game on the line, Yao took over.

With three minutes remaining, Yao made a move to the basket and completed it with an underhand flip.

On the next possession, the game -- and perhaps a chunk of the Pacers' season -- crashed. Yao went over Pacers center Brad Miller to pull in a Mobley pass then made his move to the basket. On the way, however, Pacers All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal collapsed and had to be carried from the court with 27 points and what was thought to be a sprained knee. Yao also landed hard when Miller hit him with a flagrant foul.

Yao had trouble with a physical frontcourt on Monday in Miami. That was enough for him to learn how to handle it.

"Sometimes you have to turn it on to an aggressive mode where you have to get a little more physical," Mobley said. "We told him, ... we have to tear their head off before they tear ours off.

"They were trying to beat him up. He learned in one game. Miami tried to beat him up, Brian Grant and those guys. He comes out this day and boom, boom, shoots right over top of them, baby hooks."

Yao got up after the hit from Miller and made one free throw for a five-point lead. And with the Rockets keeping the ball after the flagrant foul, he lofted the softest of fadeaways to give them an 83-76 lead with 2:07 left.

With that, the Rockets cruised as they had not all night to close out the win.

The Pacers had pulled ahead 71-70 with six minutes left when Jamaal Tinsley snuck behind Yao to strip the ball and set up Reggie Miller for a 3-pointer so open he lined it up as if shooting pool.

After an O'Neal free throw, Yao tied the game with a jump hook he threw down into the basket. Mobley hit his second consecutive trey before Yao brought the crowd back to its feet by eating up all of an O'Neal shot inside, his season-high sixth block of the season.

A three-point play by Mobley with 3 1/2 minutes left set the stage for the last of Yao's heroics.

The game, however, began to change for the Rockets in the second quarter when Yao pulled out the every bit of Olajuwon's signature move, offering all the flash and grace that had seemed to have been retired with Olajuwon.

Beginning with a spin left, Yao left Miller flailing at shadows while he twice showed him the ball and took it away before finally put in a layup that screamed Dream and was worth much more than two points.

But as much as their third win over a first-place team this season meant to the Rockets, Yao made everything seem bigger.

"We just think about how much better he can get," Mobley said. "He's only 22. Steve and I are gym rats. (Kelvin) Cato is playing great. And Mo Taylor, he's coming back. (Newly acquired) James Posey is scrappy. Everything is looking up."

It was looking all the way up to 7-foot-5 worth of possibilities, and beyond.